The geek and the geek lover
by Kiyokomao
Summary: Lovino is a young teenager dealing with family issues, school troubles and relationship problems. He puts up a wall to keep other people away. However, everything changes when he meets music-enthralled Antonio, who insists Lovino and him are meant to be. Will Antonio be able to take down Lovino's walls? Or will Lovino's outer shell drive him away?
1. Chapter 1

So I had this really cute idea after reading Sarah Dessen's _'This Lullaby'._ If you like cute SpaMano stories, I really recommend it! Both characters really remind me of Spain and Romano. I'm a little cramped for time, so RxR and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Every single day, he repeats it like a mantra of annoying begs and pleas. Every single day he follows me around. Every single day – like a recurring _nightmare_."

~oO0Oo~

Instead of the normal, boring introduction in which all I do is talk about myself and how special or different I am, I'm going to first talk about the people around me. Because they make up pretty much my entire life.

Let's start with my younger brother. His name is Feliciano, though I call him 'Feli' for short. He's a few inches taller than me and for some odd reason, his hair is lighter too. Our personalities are completely different too. He's the type of guy to jump right into the crowd, all smiles and giggles. He may be a raging homosexual, also.

Then there's my grandpa, or grandfather – It depends on the situation. He's almost like an old geezer version of my younger brother. _Almost._ His name's Romulus Vargas. There's rumors he was a mob boss. I'd believe it, too. He's a fashion designer and book writer. Somehow, he inexplicably has like, a gazillion dollars and lives in a really expensive mansion-like house. He favors Feli more, but we'll get to that later.

There's Matthew, last name Williams. I always thought that was a first name, but whatever. (Who named you, child!?) He's Canadian, and very soft spoken and shy. He's probably the first and best friend I've ever made.

Next we have Alfred F. Jones, Matthew's brother. (Nobody knows what the 'F' stands for and I really don't care.) I'm pretty sure they're step-brothers or whatever, but that's not important right now. Alfred's like this crazy lunatic that screams everything he says. He also eats a lot too. He loves sports, almost more than he likes Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith. Again, like I said. Almost.

Alfred, Matthew and I make up this small little group at school. You know, the group that doesn't exactly stand out and does their own thing, not giving a fuck.

I don't want to come off as those bozos that sit around, folding paper planes and throwing them across the room, firing spit wads that have long since gone out of style. No, we were just simply too busy doing more important stuff.

"So, next episode is coming out next week! Wanna come over since it's the season finale?"

...Okay, so maybe we were just the _tiniest_ bit geeky...

But, that's a problem for another time!

…

There's also this girl named Femke. She's a real pretty girl too. Short, curly blonde hair and big, green eyes. She has long eyelashes, and is very feminine. She dresses so pretty all the time, it's hard to believe she doesn't have a boyfriend.

She has an older brother, and yada yada yada... I think I'm done with introductions.

After all, there are _plenty_ of weirdos at my school. I can't go through all of them.

So, now that I've started this off with other people's introductions, I suppose I won't mind talking about me. Not that I'm this really extraordinary person leading this really extraordinary life.

To start things off, I moved to America from Italy along with my younger brother a few years ago, before we entered middle school. You got it, that makes the both of us Italian. Yippee. We both had a small Italian accent, not very noticeable. Until you get one of us riled up. I can't tell you how many times I've had to save Feli's ass because he was getting bullied for getting overly excited for spaghetti, which the kids thought was hilarious because he was apparently like a stereotypical Italian. Little shit should've known better.

I got bullied a lot too, only because I had a darker skin color than usual, but that was only because I spent a lot of my summer's in Southern Italy with other relatives. Apparently, it was SO WRONG to be darker. Like, a lightning bolt would zap you, or a piano would miraculously fall from the sky, simply because you were slightly darker than other people.

Not that it's very important, but a kid actually tried to paint me white, which he thought would stop the mean kids from bullying me. We were like, five or something, so I can't really blame the guy for trying.

Another reason I was bullied, was my attitude. Feli got a lot of shit for being: too scrawny, too short, too much of a crybaby, too Italian, too weak, etc. Basically, for being too _him._ So of course I wasn't going to just watch, then roll over and let them bully me too. No, I actually stood up for myself. I would sock the biggest kid straight in the face just because he bumped into me during lunch.

Though, during high school, that changed. The kids got bigger, meaner and scarier. They weren't afraid to hit you back, they weren't afraid of being threatened and they certainly weren't afraid of a 5'4" Italian.

That brings us here, my high school. Packed full of jocks, stoners, emo's and everything else in between.

When we first came here, Feli and I weren't used to being separated. We had different classes. After all, most people thought we were twins, despite the obvious height difference. Like, _DUH_ PEOPLE.

So seeking refuge, I established a friendship with Matthew, who had Alfred in tow.

"Lovino?" Matthew whispered, nudging my shoulder.

Oh, shit. By the way, my name's Lovino Vargas...that information might be important...

"What?" I turned to him, expecting to see his face that always seemed to look scared.

But no, he was smiling. "Did you hear me?" I shook my head. "I said we should go to the mall after school today. You know, to shop for clothes for the dance this weekend?" Matthew said softly.

I nodded slowly. That rang a bell.

The thing is, I don't particularly like social gatherings.

"Do we _have_ to go? I'd rather stay at home, reading or being on the internet or something..." I sighed.

Matthew looked the slightest bit disappointed. "Did you forget? We _promised_ Alfred we'd go. We swore!"

I rubbed my temple irritably. It was one thing to force me to go, it was another to remind me why and who I'd have to go with. Especially if it was with that loud mouth.

"Fine. But I have to be home by seven." I complied, already regretting my decision.

Matthew, however, seemed to relax. "Good." He nodded, satisfied, then turned to leave. Probably to tell Alfred the 'good' news.

I checked the clock above the cafeteria doors that led into the hallways. 12:30. I still had time to get whatever slop they were serving...

~oO0Oo~

Another boring, ordinary school day, nothing special. That is, until after school. Matthew, Alfred and I were currently walking around the local mall. Of course, Alfred was dragging us to different stores that had nothing to do with shopping for clothes.

"You two are boring! Why can't I hang out with cool, awesome people for once?" Alfred sighed as he picked up a blue dress shirt.

My eyebrow twitched. I was seriously getting sick of his shit. Here I am giving up my afternoon and weekend to please him, and he's complaining! "Now listen here, you little shit..." I started, but Matthew hurriedly tugged my arm, pulling me away.

"I know he's being unreasonable, but please try to bare with it. You never know, the dance could be fun?" Matthew smiled at me.

I wasn't convinced. Feeling slightly less irritated, I pulled my arm out from his grip and made my way to another part of the store, far away from that idiot Alfred.

As I searched through the clothes, I noticed how colorful they were. This wasn't prom, so one doesn't have to go all out. I made a face at a bright orange dress shirt. It looked horrible.

I was about to pull out another, hopefully less-disgusting-to-the-eyes dress shirt, until my hand was captured from someone on the inside of the clothes rack.

Naturally, I freaked out.

"What the fuck!?" I yelped, before getting pulled into the clothes rack with the culprit.

"Shh! They'll hear you!" Someone said as I stumbled in beside him. Feeling extremely annoyed, I struggled and pushed away from him, but he kept his grip firm. "What are you doing? Stop struggling!" He whispered, now throwing his arms around me.

Now that did it. Nobody just puts their arms around me!

"No! What the fuck are _you_ doing!? Let me go, you fucking freak!" I snapped at him, waving my hands around and successfully slapping him on the cheek.

"Ow! Okay, sorry...but look, over there!" He said in a urgent voice that got me to comply and stop struggling for a second. He pushed some clothes aside and I saw two guys who looked about my age. One had curly blond hair and some stubble. The other had silver hair and strange, red eyes. Both were dressed in black and red clothing. They looked like they were searching for something, or someone...

The guy beside me sighed and let the clothes fall back in place. "They just won't let up, will they...?" He said, sounding disappointed.

"...Why are they looking for you, and why did you pull me in here?" I said in a sort of monotone voice.

The guy beside me chuckled. "Ah, that...Well, they want to-"

"Try searching the clothing racks, he seems like the type of person to hide in those." A voice nearby said.

Immediately, the guy beside me grabbed my arm and pulled me out from the clothing rack, dragging me out of the store. I looked back to see if they had seen us, but they were too busy looking through other clothing racks.

"Are you _insane_!?" I told him, after we reached the end of the mall, far away from the other two guys...and Alfred and Matthew. I turned and felt my eyes widen. The guy beside me was really something to look at...

He had dark brown, curly hair and bright, green eyes. His skin was darker than mine, and he stared right back at me, a big smile on his face.

I felt my face warm, and I averted my eyes.

"No, not insane. But hey, did you feel it just now?" He said, and damn...you could practically _hear_ the smile he was wearing in his voice. If...that makes sense...

"Feel what?" I growled, wondering why he didn't just walk away and leave me alone. Why'd he take me with him in the first place?

"That feeling just now, I dare say we had a moment~" He said, sounding like he was talking about the weather.

I felt irritated now. "What!? W-we did not have one!" I snapped.

He just grinned even wider, feeling around in his pockets. "What are you doing this weekend?" He asked, sounding ecstatic.

I eyed him uneasily. This guy is just not giving up. "None of your business, asshole." I growled.

He pulled out a sharpie marker, suddenly grabbing my arm and fucking _writing_ on it. I never let anyone touch me, let alone write on me. With a fucking sharpie! So I yanked my arm back, messing him up on whatever he was writing.

Just then, we heard two voices. "There he is! Hey!" I turned and saw the two guys we saw earlier, running towards us. The guy beside me gave me one last glance at me, then turned and dashed into another larger store.

I simply watched. Watched as he went out of sight, and watched as the two weirdos dashed past me. What a strange trio.

I headed back to the front of the mall. Matthew and Alfred were probably really worried.

When I entered the store, I was immediately greeted with a hug. Ugh, why can't people understand personal space!?

"Alfred. Get. Off." I demanded, pushing him away.

"We were looking for you! Where did you go!?" He cried.

Matthew came over, looking relieved. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"It was nothing, just a run-in with some weirdos. It's okay now." I reassured them.

Matthew opened his mouth, but stopped when he noticed my arm. He grabbed it and looked at what was written. "What is this? A name and a number?" He blinked, studying my arm.

I sighed and resisted yanking my arm away. "One of them was a douche." I said.

"It looks like...A-Anto...Antonio?" Alfred said, squinting his eyes at the name. The first three numbers were there, but the fourth number was smeared. "God, that's some awful handwriting..." He added.

"Whatever. I'm going to wash this off as soon as I get home." I grumbled, pulling my arm away. "Let's just get this shopping over with."

~oO0Oo~

We ended up buying some nice dress shirts. Mine, if you must know, was a dark red. By the time I got home, it was about 7:30-ish. My younger brother and grandpa were causing a ruckus which the whole neighborhood could probably hear.

I sighed and made my way up our front steps, wishing everyone could already be asleep. When I opened the door and stepped inside, I was greeted with my grandpa and Feli on the couch in the living room, crying and sobbing over some stupid movie.

"It's soooo not fair! Why him!?" Feli cried, wiping his eyes with a tissue.

"Life isn't fair, such is the true cruelty of this world...!" Grandpa sobbed, blowing his nose.

I kicked off my shoes and shook my head. Another teenage drama movie.

"Oh, Lovi you're back? Dinner's in the fridge if you want to warm it up." Feli acknowledged my presence. I simply nodded and walked past the kitchen. I had more pressing matters to deal with.

But before I could go into the bathroom to wash my arm, I heard Feli's voice from downstairs. "Ah, Lovi! Can you take me to the store real quick? I forgot some stuff for my project tomorrow!" He called out to me.

Great. Real fucking great. Sure, I knew how to drive, I just really hated driving around whiny little brothers that changed the radio station to stupid pop songs, or rolled down the window when it was really cold.

"Ugh! Whatever, get your jacket...!" I grumbled, coming down the stairs.

"Hehe~ Sorry..." He gave a weak smile.

"We'll be right back." I told my grandpa, pulling the keys out from a small bowl where we kept loose change. He nodded, waving his hand at us.

Feli quickly slipped on his nice, black boots and rushed to catch up with me, as I was already getting in the car. I turned the ignition and the car started up. As he got in beside me and put on his seatbelt, he gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Lovi~"

I furrowed my eyebrows and pulled out of the driveway. "Sure."

The small grocery store that was closest to our house was about five minutes away. Five minutes alone with my obnoxious brother.

He turned the radio on to the annoying pop song channel, then rolled down the window, just like I expected him to do.

"Ahh~ Say, Lovi?" He began.

"No." I said immediately.

"I didn't say anything yet!" He cried, turning to me.

"You didn't have to. I don't want to talk." I said flatly.

"Ve...I met this guy today." He started again anyway.

I felt my lip twitch. He just ignored me. "Yay for you." I replied.

"He's really nice..." Feli ignored me yet again. "I was on the bus home today, and he had no where to sit, so he sat next to me, then we started talking. He seemed scary at first, but he was actually really kind. He's transferring to our school next week, along with his brother and his friends." Feli said, playing with the strings of his jacket idly.

I shrugged. "I met a guy too. He was annoying, stupid and an asshole." I grumbled.

Feli tilted his head curiously. "At the mall?" He asked.

I nodded, pulling into the parking lot of the store and finding a parking place. "Go get what you need so we can go home." I told him, changing the radio station.

Feli sat there, fumbling with his fingers nervously. "A-actually, Lovi...I might need your help..." He muttered.

Goddammit. Now I had to go in!? I sighed and opened the door, locking it as Feli and I walked inside.

"What do you need?" I grumbled.

"A cardboard box, and some construction paper." He told me.

"You couldn't have done it yourself?" I snapped.

"Ve...The cardboard would be too big for me to carry..." He said sadly.

We walked to the art supplies and got some construction paper. Feli held it close to his chest like it was some precious treasure. "Now the cardboard." He said determinedly.

I nodded and walked up to the customer assistance desk, politely asking for a decent sized cardboard box. As I was waiting, a hand rested on my shoulder.

"Dammit, Feli...you know how much I hate it when people touch m-" I turned and expected to see my younger brother. Instead, I was greeted with the guy from before – Antonio.

"Hey there!" He said cheerfully, a big grin on his face.

I took a step away from him, glaring at him. "You again." I grumbled.

"Me again." He confirmed, then added. "I couldn't help but notice you haven't washed it off yet." He pointed to the sharpie name and phone number that was written on my arm.

I blushed and covered it. "Idiot. I didn't get the time to." I snapped irritably. "Why are _you_ here!? Are you some sort of stalker?"

Antonio laughed at this. "No, not at all. I just think we were meant to be together, you know?" He said smoothly.

I was not impressed. The lady behind the counter returned, holding a cardboard box with some difficulty. "This big enough?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you." I said, and took the box from her. Damn, it was hard to hold.

"Want some help with that?" Antonio offered.

I shook my head, already walking away. "No, and I'm not interested. I'm seeing someone." I said flatly.

Feli later joined me outside. "Sorry, had to pee." He explained, getting in the car. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." I grumbled and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and driving home.

~oO0Oo~

"So? When are you going to dump Sadik?" Matthew asked in his usual, hushed tone. We were currently sitting behind the gym building. It was PE, and the jocks were playing basketball.

I shrugged, chewing on some gum. "I dunno. I'm waiting for the right time. I was thinking at the dance." I murmured thoughtfully.

Alfred nodded. "As long as you do it soon. The class trip is coming up, and he just might ask to room with you."

I nodded. Every year, the entire class took a trip to some fun place like an amusement park or aquarium, or something like that. It was a three day long trip, so we each had to find a roommate to share a hotel room with.

"So I noticed you washed off that guys number." Alfred said, pointing to my arm.

"Of course I washed it off. The guy was an idiot." I rolled my eyes, bringing my knees closer to my chest.

Matthew bit his lip. "He doesn't know your name though, right?" He asked nervously.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No. Why would I do something like that?"

Matthew averted his eyes. "I-I was just a bit concerned..." He murmured.

Alfred sighed and laid on the grass. "Man, if only there was something more interesting we could do." He complained.

"...Wanna play Dungeons and Dragons?" Matthew suggested. We all agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

So last time I posted the first chapter of this, but was in a rush and didn't get the chance to update it. With luck, I'll be able to update all my other fics whenever I get internet again. If you're reading this after I fix the first chapter, then pay no mind.

Also, because I've been in a hurry, please excuse any grammar mistakes if you can UwU I'm deeply sorry for that. RxR and please enjoy!

UPDATE: So I finally, FINALLY got my laptop fixed! A few people pointed out the flaws in this story, which I took notice of prior (Some I totally missed *hides under blanket*), and I was going to fix them, but my laptop was acting up. So I did some revising and fixed it. There should be a smoother story from now on. Thanks for everyone who pointed things out! I really appreciate the criticism! :D

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In books and movies, the first meeting is always this spark of feelings, like suddenly, you're filled with unconditional love for this certain person. That, however, is not how it happened with us.

~oO0Oo~

When the weekend eventually came around and Matthew, Alfred and I were getting ready for the (boring) dance, we ran into a slight problem.

"Feli? Why are _you_ getting ready?" I sneered, glaring at him slightly.

"Ve? Oh, well you know that Japanese exchange student?" I nodded. "He asked if I would be interested in going and that he wanted to check it out, but not alone, so I decided to go~" Feli said cheerfully.

I rolled my eyes, putting on my shoes and walking over to the door where Matthew and Alfred were waiting. "Okay, just make sure to be home by 10:00. Grandpa would be mad at you otherwise." I told him.

Feli tilted his head curiously. "But...won't grandpa be mad at you too?" He furrowed his brow.

I shrugged. "He already thinks that I'm a horrible child, what's a little more going to do?" I said nonchalantly.

Feli frowned and threw a pouty face, but seemed to let it go.

With that I nodded and grabbed my jacket, walking with Matthew and Alfred out the door. We climbed into Alfred's car and pulled out of the driveway. Luckily, I got to sit shotgun. I glanced back at Feli, who was staring at us through the window. I knew grandpa wouldn't want his precious little Feli to go to the dance with a bunch of hooligans like us.

As we were driving down the street, I patted Alfred's shoulder gently. "Hey, stop by the Quickie-mart up ahead, I want to get something to drink." I said.

Alfred grinned, pulling into the parking lot. "Get a few beers? That would mean Mattie here has to drive." He said, nodding at his brother.

"H-how about you two don't drink tonight?" Matthew murmured. I knew he was dreading the thought of having to drive two drunk-off-their-asses-assholes back to their respective homes. Well, just me, actually. He'd have to explain why his older brother was drunk when they got home. Grandpa would already be expecting it.

"Oh shit." I heard Alfred say, and I leaned forward to see what he was looking at.

There was Sadik, his arm around another guy as they walked out of the Quickie-Mart. He had a shit-eating grin, climbing into the car and getting ready to drive away.

I gritted my teeth. That little lying **fuck**.

Matthew shifted uneasily in his seat, glancing back at me worriedly. "E-easy now, Lovi..." He muttered.

I leaned back in my seat, biting my lip. "Never mind him. Let's just go." I murmured, trying to hold my anger.

Alfred nodded, and began to pull out of the parking lot. "...Don't let it get to you, Lovi. That guy is an asshole." He told me uneasily.

I nodded, waving him off. "Yeah, yeah...seriously though, let's just get to the damn party." I sighed.

"He might be going there too, though..." Matthew murmured.

"I said let's get the fuck out of here and go to that goddamn party!" I repeated, raising my voice.

The other two flinched, and Alfred nodded understandingly. "Alright, dude. We're going now." He reassured me.

~oO0Oo~

I had thought the party was going to be a bust, but when Alfred pulled into the parking lot, there was vehicles everywhere. I frowned, surely, a party this big, people are bound to find a way to smuggle in booze. I would have to keep an eye on Feli.

All three of us shared impressed glances as we got out of the car and made our way to the front doors of the building. Already I could hear band music blaring and strobe lights flaring. As we entered the building, we were greeted with a large crowd of people, dancing and talking as a band played onstage.

"Let's go to that corner over there." Alfred whispered in my ear, pointing to a small table in the far corner.

I nodded, and Matthew and I followed him. I have to say, the music was good, it wasn't country or techno, like what people usually liked to dance to – no, it was sort of a rock/punk genre.

We sat down and began to make a plan. "Alright, this may be my only chance to talk to someone tonight, so I'll be taking my leave now." Alfred told us, before grabbing his things and leaving.

Matthew and I sighed and scooted our chairs closer to each other so we could talk better. "Your brother wanted us to go, only so he could ditch us?" I whispered angrily into his ear.

Matthew frowned and nodded. "So it seems. I'm sorry Lovi, I really didn't expect that." He apologized.

There was too much people. Too much people surrounding me, talking around me. It was suffocating. I tried to breathe, but all I could smell was deodorant and perfume. "I'm stepping outside." I said quickly to Matthew as I got up. He nodded and looked down the table sadly.

I stepped outside into the cool air in the back of the building, sighing as I sat down near some dumpsters. Still, it felt good to finally get some fresh air. I brought my legs closer to my chest, debating whether I should go back inside again. I could stay out here the rest of the night, though. I really wouldn't mind, since it wasn't too cold.

The music inside the building stopped, and the door burst open, four guys stepping out.

"We got a good crowd tonight, I'm glad they hired us." One voice with a strange accent said.

"Only because we didn't ask for much." Another sighed. "You three really need to up the price, or we're going to be taken granted of." _That_ accent sounded British.

"Oh, you're just upset that we didn't stick to the song list we had planned before." The third person said.

"Alright, enough guys. At least the crowd likes us, they even demanded an encore!" I froze. Suddenly, I was glad that there was a dumpster separating us. I instantly recognized that voice as Antonio's.

Antonio was in a band? Was he stalking me? What the fuck!?

"I saw some pretty good food in the front," The one with a strange accent said cheerfully. "I think I'm gonna go get some."

"Ah, let me go with you." The British accented guy said.

"If Arthur's going, then I'll go too." The third guy said.

"You guys go on ahead, I want to enjoy the night air." Antonio told the rest. They all snickered and went back inside.

Fuck.

…

I heard Antonio sit down and sigh. How long was he going to be here? Was he planning on staying out here the rest of the night too?

I bit my lip and decided to just go back inside. It was better now than ever. Who cared what Antonio might think anyway?

I stood up from behind the dumpster suddenly, making Antonio shriek and fall backward.

"What the-!? O-oh it's you!? Oh my god, what are you doing there?" He asked, surprised. "Wait- do you _live_ in a dumpster? Oh...I'm so sorry..." He said sadly, sitting straight again.

I marched up to him, already feeling annoyed. "No, I do not live in a dumpster, you idiot. I was just sitting there to get out from the party." Antonio stared at me questioningly. "There's too many people in there." I explained.

Antonio smiled and patted the ground beside him. "I know what you mean, it smells like sweat and deodorant in there." He chuckled.

I hesitated, but sat next to him nonetheless. "...I didn't know you were in a band..." I murmured.

Antonio shrugged, looking up at the sky. "Yeah...My friend Francis and I made a band a while back, then we met my other friend Gilbert, who is an awesome drummer. Ah, then Francis introduced us to Arthur." Antonio made a face.

I nodded nonchalantly. I didn't know why he was telling me all this. I didn't even know who he was talking about.

"So, if you don't live in a dumpster, where might you live then?" Antonio asked me hopefully.

I hummed and fiddled with my fingers. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know..." I murmured.

"Darn. You caught that, didn't you?"

"Idiot."

Antonio laughed and I rolled my eyes. Antonio was such a dork. I realized this before, but now he only seemed to be proving what a _total_ idiot he was.

I heard cricket noises in the bush ahead of us, and it made me notice how dark it had gotten. There was a light above us, but other than that, I couldn't see anything ahead. I looked up and saw what a clear night it was. Huh. Maybe Antonio and I really could just sit out here for the rest of the night.

"Your name." I heard Antonio say.

"What?" I asked, turning to him.

"I said, what's your name?" Antonio repeated, smiling.

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "Why do you keep trying to know me? What's it to you what my name is?" I demanded.

Antonio's smile faded, but he pushed on. "I think you're interesting. There's something about you." He said simply.

I turned away from him, feeling my face heat up. I knew I better stay away from him. He's a total flirt.

"Well, since there's apparently this unspoken rule of 'No discussing you or anything about you,' why don't I explain a little bit about myself?" Antonio offered.

I groaned. "Yeah, because _everyone_ wants to hear about you." I said sarcastically.

Antonio laughed. "I know right? And I'm giving you an exclusive story~"

I rolled my eyes, but shifted a bit to get comfortable nonetheless. Antonio seemed like he could talk forever.

"Well," He began. "I grew up in Madrid." Oh, so he was a foreigner as well. "My mother was American and after she and my father split up, we moved to America. She died about four years ago, and my older brother has been taking care of me ever since. Of course, I knew Francis for a long time, and we had already started playing music. It wasn't until we met Gilbert that we decided we needed to utilize it and start a band. That brings us here, where we've been staying in a cheap rented out room of this cheap, crappy house. We need to go and find jobs tomorrow, and we'll be attending school here on Monday." Antonio finished cheerfully.

I listened to all of this, absorbing it all in. Finally, I murmured, "Goddamn Antonio..."

Antonio chuckled at this. "Goddamn Antonio, indeed." He nodded.

I heard the door open behind us and perked at the sound of a recognizable voice. "Lovi? Are you out here?" I heard Matthew ask.

I turned to him and blinked. "Yeah?"

"Oh...I didn't know you were talking to someone. I was just checking to see if you were okay. There's some nice people at our table and they said they were really big Star Wars fans. It's really cool, you should come in and talk to them." He smiled at the both of us when I nodded, then he went back inside.

It was quiet for a moment, and the crickets that chirped across from us only magnified that silence.

"So...Lovi, is it?" Antonio asked suddenly, a huge grin on his face.

My eyes widened as I realized what had just happened. "Goddammit." I hissed, slapping my forehead.

"Yes! I did it! I found out what your name is! It's so cute! I knew it would be!" Antonio cheered, throwing his fist in the air like some sort of little kid.

I was rubbing my temple irritably. "It's not that big of a deal, Antonio... and it's not 'Lovi', it's Lovino." I grumbled, looking at the suddenly interesting dumpster beside me.

Antonio sighed happily. "Lovino..." He repeated. "Your name doesn't sound American. You also have this accent that I just can't for the life of me place..."

I groaned and shook my head. What an idiot. "Italian." I murmured.

"What?" I heard him ask.

"Italian! You know, pasta, tomatoes and shit! God, you're so stupid!" I hissed at him.

"...I like tomatoes..." I heard Antonio mumble.

I was staring pointedly on some street lights, a few feet away. "...I do too." I admitted.

Antonio clapped his hands together, making me jump. "That! See? We totally have something in common now! I knew we had chemistry!" He said happily.

I frowned. "That's not even something that qualifies as us having chemistry." I said flatly.

Antonio shrugged, then leaned back, looking at the sky once more. "Hey...Don't you ever look at the stars and instead of looking for already made constellations, make constellations up for yourself? Like, constellations that only you will be able to see or enjoy?" He murmured.

I remained silent, just shifting a little.

"See that one?" He pointed to a slightly brighter than the others star. "We can connect that one to any of the other stars up there and make a picture out of it. Like, for example, I see giant tomato." He grinned.

I followed his stare, then to the star. "...I see it too." I said, after noticing all the stars around it.

Antonio seemed very pleased about this, and smiled at me. "That one can be our constellation. We'll call it the 'Tomato constellation". He said excitedly.

I rolled my eyes. "So cheesy..." I groaned, hearing him laugh beside me.

That was when the door behind us opened again. It wasn't Matthew this time though. The four guys from earlier were back. I recognized two of them. The one with blond hair and the other one with the red eyes were hovering over us, a large grin on their faces.

"Sooo, what's this here?" The one with blond hair asked, stroking his chin as if there were a beard there.

"How interesting!" The one with red eyes exclaimed.

I chose to glare at both of them, knowing that they were Antonio's friends, they'll more than likely be even stupider than he was.

"Ah, Francis, Gilbert...Arthur, this is the person I was talking about earlier." Antonio said cheerfully. "This is Lovino. His nickname is Lovi, however." He nodded towards me.

"Lovi, what a cute name." Francis grinned even wider, looking at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling uncomfortable.

"...I think I'll be going now." I informed Antonio, standing up and dusting my legs off. "See you around." I said nonchalantly, then rushed inside. I could hear Antonio calling out to me as I threw myself into the crowd.

~oO0Oo~

When I met up with Matthew, I supposed that all the Star Wars fans were gone. There was only a chick sitting next to him. He smiled at me as I approached him. "Ah, Lovi! So glad you're here. This is Elizabeta. She's a sophomore and she loves all of Josh Lusus' books!" He said excitedly.

I sat down beside him and gathered up the rest of my strength to smile at her. "Oh, cool. They're really good books." I murmured. She just smile and nodded back politely.

I looked around at the party now. I guessed that it was at its peak, because the music was blaring louder than ever and people were stumbling around drunk. Someone probably spiked the drinks. I scanned the crowd and sure enough, found my younger brother by chance. He seemed fine, just sitting at a side table with a man with blond hair.

"Hey, let's get out of here. I'm a little tired." I told Matthew, who nodded understandingly.

"I'll look for Alfred real quick." He said, then got up to search for him. I decided that in the mean time, I should ask Feli if grandpa was coming to pick him up.

As I approached their table, Feli perked and practically shouted my name. "Lovi!"

"Yeah...Is grandpa coming to pick you up soon?" I asked.

The man beside my brother glanced up at me, not even smiling politely. Feli took out his phone, searching through it. "Let's see~ he said maybe around 10?"

I nodded and stuffed my hands in my pockets. "Okay...I just wanted to make sure. Just be careful." I looked at the man pointedly.

"It's okay! Luddy here is with me." Feli said happily.

"Luddy?" I questioned suspiciously.

That's when the man sitting beside Feli stood up, holding his hand out for me to take. "I'm Ludwig. Pleased to meet you." We shook hands. That's when I noticed his German accent.

"Yeah...but _who_ are you?" I grumbled.

He seemed slightly embarrassed as I said this, but cleared his throat. "I met Feli a while back and we've become good friends. I'll be attending your school on Monday." He said gruffly.

I nodded uneasily, a little chilled at how his story seemed similar to Antonio's. I figured that everything was alright here, so I met back up with Matthew.

~oO0Oo~

We found Alfred and got into his car, that was when he started blabbering away that he had chatted up a British exchange student. "He was kinda like you, Lovi!" Alfred went on. "He was in a band that played tonight, he was so cool."

I rolled my eyes. That must be the British guy in the band that Antonio is in. "Is his name Arthur by any chance?" I asked him.

Alfred perked, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah! That was definitely his name!" He exclaimed happily.

"Who was that guy you were talking with earlier?" Matthew asked suddenly.

I froze, feeling my face heat up. "H-he was nobody! J-just that asshole from the mall the other day-" I stopped myself, slapping my hands over my mouth.

"Oh? That guy again?" Alfred smirked. "Sounds like you two are getting along nicely."

I smacked his shoulder angrily. "Jackass!" I snarled at him.

He laughed loudly and started up the car. "Chill, dude. I was only joking."

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my seat. "Like I give a damn..." I mumbled. I could Matthew trying to stifle a laugh in the backseat. Goddamn him.

I looked out the window as we drove past the town. It was dark outside and I figured grandpa must be going to get Feli by now.

That's when my mind flickered back to Antonio. He's so weird. I had thought he was an annoying asshole, but we actually had a really nice conversation. He didn't attack me with flirty comments like other times, and he's nothing like Sadik...

I furrowed my brows. What the hell did he see in me? I kept thinking that maybe he had seen Feli somewhere and was mistaking him for me..but now I guess that's not the case. Why would he want me though? Not that I would date him otherwise.

My belief in relationships is simple. Nothing lasts forever. There is no such thing as 'eternal love' or shit like that. My family's relationships can prove it. Hell, even Matthew and Alfred's parents are divorced. Their dad got custody of them and it happened over seven years ago.

That's why I have a hard time trusting people. Why would you let someone in if they're only just going to be a memory someday? Do they even deserve to see behind the wall?

Even Feli says I have no friends because I push people away much too often. As for Sadik, he's really nothing more than a temporary thing. We both agreed it wouldn't last through summer, and that we're not in 'love' with each other or some bullshit like that.

"Lovi? Are you okay?" Matthew asked timidly, gently touching my shoulder.

I was slouching in my seat, and sat up the moment my thoughts were broken. "Y-yeah...I'm okay, just tired." He nodded understandingly and we drove the rest of the way home in silence.

~oO0Oo~

"Feli was telling me about you seeing someone?" My _grandfather_ said coldly. See? Depends on the situation. There's the situation.

I tensed, but continued chopping vegetables and putting them in a pot. I had barely gotten home when he said I needed to chop the vegetables because his wrist is bad. Feli arrived not a few minutes later and apparently told my grandfather another reason why I'm the horrible child. "...Feli doesn't know anything and I'm not seeing anyone." I replied sourly.

He hummed and thought my answer over. "...Do you do drugs?" He asked finally.

I threw down the knife and glared at him. "What the fuck? Why are you asking me this?" I snapped.

Next thing I knew, I was sent to my room with no dinner. Not that I really cared, I wasn't hungry anyway. I let out a deep sigh and flopped onto my bed, taking out my phone and looking for Alfred's number.

I texted him, asking him if he could pick me up in five minutes. I didn't feel like staying home. When there was no answer, I decided to check online. I took out my laptop and checked on various social networking sights, but so far there was nobody I really felt like talking to.

I heard a knock on my door, then Feli waltzed in. "Hey, brother..." He said nervously.

I glared at him, grabbing the nearest pillow and flinging towards his face. I missed, however, and his lip began to tremble.

"D-don't be so angry, fratello! I wasn't really trying to get you in trouble! I was just telling grandpa about the dance, then I mentioned you and that cool band guy..." He rambled on.

"I'm not seeing the fucking band guy – Antonio!" I snapped angrily.

Feli nodded. "Oh, okay...But you see, after you left, I was walking out to meet grandpa, when he came up to me." I rolled my eyes. I had a feeling I was gonna hear a story of how he decided to go after Feli instead and how they were now going out. "Once he saw my face, however, he apologized and asked if I had a twin brother. It was really funny." Feli chuckled softly.

"Anyway, I told him that I did have an older brother, but we're not twins. I told him your name was Lovino, and then he flipped out."

I felt my anger pike and I glared at him angrily. "Don't talk to that motherfucker again, Feli. I mean it." I growled.

"Waah! B-but-! He started jumping up and down and yelling something about fate..." Feli blubbered, eyes tearing up."I think you two would look great together!"

…

…

I let my arms drop to my sides, then sat down on my bed once more. "You're an idiot." I told him.

Feli nodded and smiled lightly. "He told me to tell you that he would like to go stargazing with you sometime again. With tomatoes, of course." Feli laughed.

I blushed and clenched my teeth together. "That motherfucker..." I mumbled.

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed, it's getting late." Feli yawned, turning to walk out of my room. He stopped at the doorway, however. "I think you two look adorable together~" Then he walked out.

I stared menacingly at the closed door for a moment, before sighing once more. I probably won't ever see that guy again anyway. I don't know why I felt kind of worried. He's just another loser, seeing me as a challenge that he can overcome, or conquer. What a moron.

As if it's that easy.


End file.
